1. Heart Rate, Life Expectancy and the Cardiovascular System: Therapeutic Considerations
Cardiology 2015;132: DOI: /
Fig. 1. Semilogarithmic relation between resting heart rate and life expectancy in mammals [1].
© 2015 S. Karger AG, Basel

2. Heart Rate, Life Expectancy and the Cardiovascular System: Therapeutic Considerations
Cardiology 2015;132: DOI: /
Fig. 2.a Schematic presentation of coronary flow in relation to the cardiac cycle. Note that the greater proportion of coronary flow occurs in diastole. Left ventricular (LV) work is related to the duration of systole and LV systolic pressure. First and second heart sounds, and the electrocardiogram (ECG) are also shown [11]. b Upper panel: relationship between heart rate, total electromechanical systole, i.e. systolic time, relative risk interval and diastolic period. Two factors determine the duration of diastolic time: heart rate and the duration of systole. Lower panel: relationship between heart rate and percent diastole. Due to a nonlinear relationship, small changes in heart rate produce dramatic changes in diastolic time, especially at a slower heart rate. The relationship between the systolic time and heart rate is linear, thus changes in heart rate produce substantially smaller changes in systolic versus diastolic times [7]. QS2 = Systolic time; R-R = relative risk.
© 2015 S. Karger AG, Basel

3. Heart Rate, Life Expectancy and the Cardiovascular System: Therapeutic Considerations
Cardiology 2015;132: DOI: /
Fig. 3.a Pulse wave velocity (PWV) is shown schematically with large arrows. When the aorta is stiff, PWV increases, resulting in stretching of the peripheral arterioles and vascular damage. b Reflected wave velocity in a stiff aorta is faster than in a normal aorta, so reflected waves reach the root of the aorta at the end of systole; this results in an increase in the systolic pressure and the disappearance of the diastolic wave. The pulse pressure waves of the carotid artery or the central aorta in both a normal and a stiff aorta are also shown schematically (see text for detail) [18].
© 2015 S. Karger AG, Basel

4. Heart Rate, Life Expectancy and the Cardiovascular System: Therapeutic Considerations
Cardiology 2015;132: DOI: /
Fig. 4.a Slow heart rate may result in an increase in central aortic pressure due to a significant increase in diastolic time compared to an aorta with the same length and the same elastic properties, but a normal heart rate. b Note that diastolic time increased from 374 to 761 ms but systolic time increased only to 439 from 376 ms when the heart rate decreases from 80 to 50 bpm. The central aortic pressure waves with a heart rate of 80 or 50 bpm are also shown schematically (see text for detail). PWV = Pulse wave velocity.
© 2015 S. Karger AG, Basel

5. Heart Rate, Life Expectancy and the Cardiovascular System: Therapeutic Considerations
Cardiology 2015;132: DOI: /
Fig. 5.a Relative risk of death from any cause, sudden death and nonsudden death due to myocardial infarction (MI) in relation to resting heart rate in healthy men [34]. b All-cause mortality in relation to resting heart rate adjusted for age, physical activity, fitness, maximal myocardial oxygen consumption (MVO2 max), leisure time, tobacco consumption, alcohol intake, body mass index, systolic/diastolic pressure, serum cholesterol and triglycerides (constructed using data from [35]).
© 2015 S. Karger AG, Basel

6. Heart Rate, Life Expectancy and the Cardiovascular System: Therapeutic Considerations
Cardiology 2015;132: DOI: /
Fig. 6. Resting heart rate as a predictor of all-cause mortality in patients with arterial hypertension in the Framingham Study, which included 2,037 men with a 36-year follow-up.
© 2015 S. Karger AG, Basel

7. Heart Rate, Life Expectancy and the Cardiovascular System: Therapeutic Considerations
Cardiology 2015;132: DOI: /
Fig. 7.a Mortality in relation to resting heart rate in coronary artery disease adjusted for age, gender, hypertension, diabetes mellitus, cigarette smoking, clinically significant coronary artery disease, left ventricular (LV) ejection fraction, recreational activity and treatment with antiplatelets, diuretics, β-blockers and lipid-lowering drugs (modified from [40]). b Heart rate as a predictor of cardiovascular events and hospitalization for heart failure (HF) in patients with coronary artery disease and LV systolic dysfunction. Note that cardiovascular death and hospitalization for heart failure were greater in those with a heart rate ≥70 bpm than in those with a heart rate <70 bpm [41].
© 2015 S. Karger AG, Basel

8. Heart Rate, Life Expectancy and the Cardiovascular System: Therapeutic Considerations
Cardiology 2015;132: DOI: /
Fig. 8.a Relationship between reduction in heart rate due to therapy with β-blocking agents and reduction in mortality in large, prospective, randomized trials on patients with coronary artery disease [42]. b Relationship between increase in diastolic time due to therapy with β-blocking agents and reduction in mortality in patients with coronary artery disease in large, prospective, randomized trials [13].
© 2015 S. Karger AG, Basel

9. Heart Rate, Life Expectancy and the Cardiovascular System: Therapeutic Considerations
Cardiology 2015;132: DOI: /
Fig. 9.a Proportion of patients with stable coronary artery disease and a heart rate >70 bpm at baseline who were hospitalized for myocardial infarction (MI). Therapy with ivabradine that decreased heart rate was associated with a decreased incidence of myocardial infarction [41]. b In patients with coronary artery disease (CAD) and arterial hypertension, the relationship between follow-up resting heart rate and the incidence of adverse outcomes is shown. Adverse outcomes include all-cause death, nonfatal myocardial infarction, or nonfatal stroke (modified from [53]).
© 2015 S. Karger AG, Basel

10. Heart Rate, Life Expectancy and the Cardiovascular System: Therapeutic Considerations
Cardiology 2015;132: DOI: /
Fig. 10.a Distribution of patients in the ivabradine group (upper panel) and placebo group (lower panel) according to heart rate achieved at day 28. b Kaplan-Meier cumulative-event curves for primary end point (cardiovascular death or hospital admission for worsening heart failure) in the ivabradine group according to heart rate achieved at day 28 [63].
© 2015 S. Karger AG, Basel

11. Heart Rate, Life Expectancy and the Cardiovascular System: Therapeutic Considerations
Cardiology 2015;132: DOI: /
Fig. 11. Life expectancy is related to metabolic rate; an increase in metabolic rate leads to the production of free radicals and oxidative stress. Increased metabolic rate is also associated with a faster heart rate. Fatty acids that are involved in the structure of the cell membrane are also related to the degree of oxidative stress that leads to cell damage, aging and death. One theory is complementary to the other.
© 2015 S. Karger AG, Basel

12. Heart Rate, Life Expectancy and the Cardiovascular System: Therapeutic Considerations
Cardiology 2015;132: DOI: /
Fig. 12. Effects of heart rate on the cardiovascular system (schematic presentation). Increase in heart rate will result in a decrease in diastolic time and an increase in systolic time (increase in systolic time is proportionally less than the decrease in diastolic time); these changes result in decreased myocardial perfusion and increased LV work that in the long run, may result in LV hypertrophy (LVH), myocardial damage and congestive heart failure (CHF). Increased heart rate may also be associated with endothelial damage, oxidative stress, inflammation and stiff vessels, all of which may contribute to aging, the development of atherosclerosis, arterial hypertension and a stiff aorta. A stiff aorta results in an increase in pulse wave velocity (PWV) and reflected wave velocity that results in systolic hypertension, decreased myocardial blood flow and organ damage. All these effects of a fast heart rate on the cardiovascular system may contribute to the development of cardiovascular diseases and increase cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. MVO2 = Myocardial oxygen consumption.
© 2015 S. Karger AG, Basel